We Flew The Glass-Paneled SR22

What’s not to like? We dropped the thing into a 2,450- by 20-foot strip (watch the streaming video) after a short jaunt at 170 knots with four full seats and 70 gallons of fuel. Then, still rolling, we tested the 310-hp Continental and climbed out at 1,000 feet per minute somewhere near 100 knots while spotting — over the cowl — traffic at our one o’clock and low. Great fun … and we didn’t have to pay for it. Paying customers, of course, get to keep the airplane. Our brief tour impressed us with excellent visibility, dreamy avionics, ultra-comfortable seating, and ergonomics that could make your ground-bound friends think they’re in a fine touring sedan. What else should you expect for $389,000? The ability to fly steep turns on the edge of stall all day long, courtesy of large outboard wing cuffs, but then you get all that in the $189,000, 200-hp, VFR, Cirrus SRV, too — just don’t expect the same cruise performance. The side stick feels different in many ways, perhaps in part due to a rather unique trim system, and may take some getting used to. It didn’t bother us, it was just different and this time, different was good.